The appeal and reviews of "The Phoenix": A fusion of a grand story and beautiful images

"The Phoenix": A grand story about eternal life and the human condition

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

December 20, 1986 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toho

■ Eirin Number

112224

■Frequencies

60 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

"Phoenix" by Osamu Tezuka

■ Director

Rintaro

■ Production

Haruki Kadokawa

■Works

©Kadokawa Haruki Corporation, Tohokushinsha, Tezuka Productions

■ Story

It is the Nara period. Akanemaru, a sculptor in the capital, sets out on a journey to Tsukushi Province in search of the image of the legendary phoenix bird. However, on the way, Akanemaru is attacked by a bandit named Gao and his precious right arm is injured. The rough-and-tumble Gao becomes even more suspicious and kills his own wife, but regrets this and decides to carve a Buddhist statue. Time passes, and Gao, who has become a monk and continues to carve Buddhist statues, and Akanemaru, whose mind has been twisted by fame, face off over a carving to present to the emperor in connection with the construction of the Great Buddha.

■Explanation

This is a theatrical animation of the episode called "Phoenix Arc" from the manga series "Phoenix" by Tezuka Osamu, which has the theme of eternal life. The storyline is based on the original, but some important characters do not appear. Also, the design of the characters has been changed for the animation.

"Phoenix: Phoenix" is a work that depicts the epic world of Tezuka Osamu, and delves deeply into the themes of eternal life and the human condition. Fans of the original manga have praised it for faithfully retaining the essence of the original while bringing out new appeal with the expressive power that only anime can provide. In addition, the unique direction of director Rintaro, combined with the beautiful visuals, makes it a work that boasts a high level of visual perfection.

Set in Japan during the Nara period, this work depicts the fates of two men, Akanemaru, a sculptor, and Gao, a thief. Akanemaru was originally pure-hearted, but as he gained success and fame, his heart became warped. Meanwhile, Gao lived as a thief, but regretted the crime of killing his wife, and embarked on the path of atonement by carving Buddhist statues as a monk. Through the contrast between these two men, the work depicts the desires and sins that humans face, and the possibility of salvation.

Furthermore, the Firebird, a symbol of eternal life, is at the center of the story, and through its existence questions the preciousness and limitations of human life. The Firebird regenerates once every 100 years and lives forever, but at the same time, human life is finite, and the story asks how we should live within that limit.

The animation has also been highly praised for its technical aspects, with the beautiful character designs by animation director Akio Sakai and the detailed background art by art director Takamura Mukuo being beautifully combined. The grandiose music by music director Tomio Miyashita is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story.

■Cast

・Phoenix/Masako Ikeda・Gao/Katsunosuke Hori・Akanemaru/Toshio Furukawa・Buchi/Mami Koyama・Hayao/Yoko Asagami・Kibi no Makibi/Norio Otsuka・Narrator/Tatsuya Shiro

The acting of the cast was also superb, especially the performances of Katsuyuki Hori as Gao and Toshio Furukawa as Akanemaru, who realistically expressed the inner conflicts of their characters and left a strong impression on the audience. Masako Ikeda as the Phoenix also firmly portrayed a mysterious presence, making her a central presence in the story.

■ Main staff

・Original work / Tezuka Osamu・Director / Rintaro・Screenplay / Takayashiki Hideo, Konparu Tomoko・Planning / Tezuka Productions・Production / Rintaro, Maruyama Masao, Iwase Yasuteru・Executive producer / Kadokawa Haruki・Music director / Miyashita Fumio・Music producer / Ishikawa Mitsuko・Animation director / Sakai Akio・Director of photography / Ishikawa Kinichi・Art director / Mukuo Takamura・Sound recording / Aketagawa Susumu, Tsujii Ichiro・Sound effects / Sasaki Hideyo・Technical advisor / Yamaki Iwa・Production companies / Project Team, Argos, Madhouse・Editor / Ogata Harutoshi・Distribution / Toho

・Theme song "Firebird"
Lyricist: Yu Aku
Composer: Tomio Miyashita
Vocals: Nori Watanabe

The staff was also impressive, with director Rintaro being the perfect choice to express Tezuka Osamu's worldview through animation. Additionally, the screenwriters, Takayashiki Hideo and Konparu Tomoko, created a story that captivated viewers by adding developments unique to animation while retaining the essence of the original work.

Musically, Miyashita Fumio's magnificent music adds excitement to the story, and the theme song "Firebird" in particular is a perfect match between Aku Yu's poetry and Watanabe Nori's singing voice, making it a song that symbolizes the theme of the work.

■ Main Characters

・Firebird A legendary bird that symbolizes "eternal life." It lives forever by regenerating once every 100 years. It has the power to understand human language and see into the future.

Gaou lost an eye and an arm shortly after his birth, and was persecuted by his village, so he became a thief. However, after killing a loved one, he was reborn as a monk who continues to carve Buddhist statues.

A tattoo artist whose skills were recognized by Akanemaru Miyako. He was a good and innocent young man, but as he achieved success he became an ambitious man obsessed with status and honor.

Hayaoka is Gao's wife. A beautiful woman who devotedly nurses Gao, who is stricken with a strange disease. Her true identity is the incarnation of a ladybug, the only life Gao saved before he became a thief.

・A girl who adores and looks up to Buchi Akanemaru like an older brother.

Each character is well-defined, and the contrast between Gao and Akanemaru is central to the story. Gao repents of his sins and seeks salvation by becoming a monk, while Akanemaru becomes obsessed with success and fame and becomes warped by it. Through the contrast between these two characters, the story depicts the desires and sins that humans face, as well as the possibility of salvation. The presence of the Firebird also symbolizes eternal life and the limits of human life, enhancing the overall theme of the story.

■ Related works

・Simultaneous screening: "Time Stranger"

・Theatrical production "The Phoenix: Dawn"
"Firebird 2772: Cosmozone of Love"

・Original video animation "Phoenix: Yamato"
"The Phoenix: Space Edition"

"Phoenix: Phoenix" is part of Tezuka Osamu's "Phoenix" series and is related to the other episodes. In particular, "Phoenix: Dawn" and "Phoenix 2772: Cosmozone of Love" were also released as theatrical animations and are important works in understanding the theme of the series as a whole. In addition, the original video animations "Phoenix: Yamato" and "Phoenix: Space" also depict other episodes of the series and are must-see works for fans.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"Phoenix: The Phoenix" is a masterpiece that depicts the magnificent world of Tezuka Osamu's story through animation, and delves deeply into the themes of eternal life and the human condition. While faithfully retaining the essence of the original work, it has been praised for bringing out new appeal with the expressive power that only animation can provide. In addition, the unique direction of director Rintaro, combined with the beautiful visuals, makes this a work that boasts a visually extremely high level of completion.

This work is highly recommended not only for fans of Tezuka Osamu, but also for viewers who pursue the artistic value of animation. In particular, for viewers who enjoy human drama and philosophical themes, this work will deeply move them and provoke thought. It is also a must-see for viewers who want to enjoy beautiful visuals and music.

Furthermore, this work is related to other episodes in the Phoenix series and occupies an important position in understanding the series as a whole. By watching this work together with the other works in the series, you will be able to gain a deeper understanding of Tezuka Osamu's magnificent world of stories.

Overall, "Phoenix: The Phoenix" is a masterpiece that faithfully reproduces the original work by Tezuka Osamu, while drawing out new charms through the expressive power that only animation can offer. Delving deeply into the themes of eternal life and the human condition, this work will surely provide viewers with deep emotions and an opportunity to think. It is a work that I hope many viewers will see.